This invention relates to surge arresters, and, more particularly, to high voltage circuit surge arresters intended to be used under oil in electrical apparatus.
Surge arresters have been used for electrical apparatus for a number of years. Many of these arresters have included a plurality of valve blocks connected electrically in series. Some of the arresters have also been located in the electrical apparatus and under the dielectric fluid or oil. A problem found with known under oil arrester constructions however, is that in circumstances where electrical destruction of the valve blocks occurs because of the absorption by the valve blocks of excess thermal energy, a low resistant fault path through the valve blocks occurs and the arresters no longer provide their protective function but, instead, act as a conductor or a fault on the electrical circuit.